adj
Meaning 1
Clumsy; lacking grace.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
ungainly
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ʌnˈɡeɪnli/
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Australian: /anˈɡæɪnli/
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: AH0 N G EY1 N L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Gangling
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: gawky
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Difficult to move or to manage; unwieldy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 4
Unsuitable; unprofitable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adv
Meaning 5
In an ungainly or unbecoming manner; improperly; undeservedly, unduly; unsuitably.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
An ungainly person or thing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
lacking grace in movement or posture
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a gawky lad with long ungainly legs
- clumsy fingers
- what an ungainly creature a giraffe is
- heaved his unwieldy figure out of his chair
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: gawky, clumsy, clunky, unwieldy
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 8
difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- an awkward bundle to carry
- a load of bunglesome paraphernalia
- clumsy wooden shoes
- the cello, a rather ungainly instrument for a girl
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: awkward, bunglesome, clumsy
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From un- (“not”) + gainly (“graceful; becoming; proper, suitable; gracious, kindly”) (from gain (“dexterous; convenient, easy, handy; suitable”), from Old Norse gegn (“fit, serviceable; direct, straight; honest; kindly”) + -ly (suffix forming adjectives from nouns)). Compare dialectal Norwegian Nynorsk ugjegnleg (“stubborn; troublesome”).
ungain (from un- + gain (“dexterous; convenient, easy, handy; suitable”)) + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: непохватен (nepohvaten) — clumsy
- Catalan: desmanyotat — clumsy
- Czech: neobratný — clumsy
- Czech: neohrabaný — clumsy
- Czech: nešikovný — clumsy
- Czech: nemotorný — clumsy
- Czech: těžkopádný — clumsy
- French: maladroit — clumsy
- German: plump — clumsy
- German: unansehnlich — clumsy
- German: unelegant — clumsy
- German: ungelenk — clumsy
- German: ungraziös — clumsy
- German: unschön — clumsy
- Greek: άγαρμπος (ágarmpos) — clumsy
- Irish: ainnis — clumsy
- Irish: anásta — clumsy
- Japanese: 不器用 (Bukiyō) — clumsy
- Māori: ninipa — clumsy
- Norwegian Bokmål: klumsete — clumsy
- Plautdietsch: onjeschekjt — clumsy
- Polish: niezgrabny — clumsy
- Russian: неуклюжий (neukljúžij) — clumsy
- Spanish: desgarbado — clumsy
- Swedish: klumpig — clumsy
- Swedish: ovig — clumsy
- Swedish: otymplig — clumsy
- Turkish: biçimsiz — clumsy
- Turkish: çirkin — clumsy
- Turkish: hantal — clumsy
- Turkish: hırpani — clumsy
- Turkish: kaba — clumsy
- Turkish: sakar — clumsy
- Ukrainian: незгра́бний (nezhrábnyj) — clumsy
- Bulgarian: тромав (tromav) — difficult to move
- Czech: nepraktický — difficult to move
- Czech: neohrabaný — difficult to move
- Czech: těžko ovladatelný — difficult to move
- Greek: δυσκίνητος (dyskínitos) — difficult to move
- Russian: неповоротливый (nepovorótlivyj) — difficult to move
- Spanish: revuelto — difficult to move
- Swedish: otymplig — difficult to move